Display package



June 15, 1965 c. M. ELLIOTT, JR 3,189,170

DISPLAY PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 18, 1963 INVENTOR CHIP/10 M.ELL/'077; JR BY FJMJ? Ema M 8. KW

ATTORNEY AGENT June 15, 1965 c. M. ELLIOTT, JR

DISPLAY PACKAGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 18, 1963 INVENTOR. MEMO/V M 40077; JR.

BY (6.15M): )m-M kazdk a ATTORNEY AGENT United States Patent 4 3,189,170 DISPLAY PACKAGE Cannon M. Elliott, Jr., Pittsford, N.Y., assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Jan. 18, 1963, Ser. No. 252,339 Claims. (Cl. 206-44) The present invention relates to display boxes, and more particularly, to improved display boxes including means for retaining articles of merchandise in a compact box and providing an attractive and simple display means for the articles.

An important object of the invention, therefore, resides in the provision of a compact box capable of being opened and forming a simple, attractive and inexpensive display.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a box having a hinged closure top, and the further provision of support means to retain the box in a closed position and to support the box in an open position.

In one form of the invention, the support means is in the form of a support sleeve adapted to fit over the box when the box is not being displayed, and the sleeve includes a cut out portion used to support the box for display.

Other objects or advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodim'ent,'of which the accompanying drawing forms a part thereofllike numerals representing like parts throughout, arid wherein l FIG. 1- is a perspective 'view of the display box in the closed position,

FIG. 2 is a perspective of the display box in its display position,

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the blank used to form the support sleeve, and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the support sleeve in its assembled form. I a

As shown in the drawing, numeral 1 represents a rectangular box having a cover closure portion 2 and a bottom portion 3, to which the cover- 2 is hingedly connected. Cover portion 2 includes at least an elongate top wall 2c, upright end walls 2b and a back wall 2d, while the bottom portion 3 includes at least an elongate base wall, upright end walls 3a, and an upright front wall 312. The top wall 20 and back wall 2d of the cover portion 2 are coextensive, whereas end walls 3a are joined to and are coextensive with respective opposite lateral edges of the top and back walls. In like manner, the base wall and front wall 3b of the bottom portion 3 are coextensive, with the end walls 3a being joined to and coextensive with the respective opposite lateral edges of the base and front walls. Boxes of this general type are known, but in a suitable form, as shown, the cover 2 is hinged to the bottom 3 by two rivet type pins 4 in a known manner. The pins 4 are located at the ends of the box 1 near a lower corner thereof, and pass through the end walls 2b and 3a of the cover 2 and bottom 3, respectively, proximate to the lower edge 2a of the back wall and the rear edge of the base wall. Thus, when the cover 2 is pivoted about the pivot axis to the open, inclined display position as shown in FIG. 2, the lower back edge 2a of the cover 2 abuts the base of the bottom 3 to limit movement of the cover 2 to that position. Normally, the vertical height of the bottom 3 is less than that of the cover 2, but inserts can be provided in the usual manner to prevent misalignment of the box. Additionaly the lower edges of the cover end walls 2b may be tapered to permit grasping of both the bottom 3 and cover 2, and thereby open the box. The particular contents of the box does not form a part of this 3,189,170 Patented June 15, 1965 invention, but a typical amature camera outfit, including film, batteries and fiashbulbs, is shown.

According to the invention, an annular sleeve portion 5 is provided, which sleeve portion is adapted to slide over the box 1 when the box is in the closed position, as in FIG. 1. Preferably, the sleeve 5 is slidable along the direction of the pivot axis joining the pins 4 and has inner transverse dimensions equal to the outer transverse dimensions of the box 1 thereby defining a cross section equal in size to the overall outer cross section of the box 1 in its closed position. In this manner, the annular sleeve 5 can be used to a greater advantage in retaining the box 1 in its closed position, thereby eliminating the need for other closure means such as interlocking tabs or adhesive tape. Thus it is obvious that the box forms a compact and convenient holder for shipping or storing. Moreover, the sleeve 5 includes cut out portions 6 on two of the walls of the sleeve, the edges of which portions 6 support the box 1 as shown in FIG. 2.

The sleeve 5 isformed from a generally rectangular blank of relatively stilf material having a suitable tab 7 at one end for gluing or otherwise attaching to the edge 8 at the other end of the blank. Thestraight bottom edge 9 extends along the entire length of the blank and forms the base of the assembled support sleeve 5. The blank is formed of a number of panels equal to the number of transverse walls of the box 1. As shown in FIG. 3, there are four such panels 10, 11, 12 and 13. Two of the panels, 11 and 13, include the cut outportions 6, whereas panels 10 and 12 each have a rectangular shape; These two portions 6 in the panels 11 and 13 are formed by the straight edges 14, 15 and 16, 17, respectively. Edges 14, 15 and 16, 17 should join at an angle substantially equal to the particular form of the bottom 3 at the lower front portion thereof. In this case, the bottom front wall 3b and the base form a right angle, as do the respective edges of the cut outs 6. The lengths of the edges 14, 15 and 16, 17 are selected according to the desirable angle at which the box is to be displayed. Generally, however, the edges 14 and 17, supporting the base of the bottom 3, are longer, so that the angle of display is particularly suitable for standard window and counter displays. The length of edges 15 and 16 may also be such that the uppermost edge of panel 12 is superimposed on the top front edge of the bottom 3, thereby further increasing the attractiveness of the display.

The support sleeve is assembled by folding the blank at the edges of the panels and gluing the tab 7 against the panel 10 at the edge 8, either to the inside or the outside. Suitable labeling or advertising, as shown by the letters ABC, DE and FG, may be provided; and it is apparent that such labeling is prominent whether the display box is in its closed position, as in FIG. 1, or its open position, as in FIG. 2.

Further considerations are important. For example, the angle of the display should be selected so that the center of gravity of the cover 2 is behind the axis of the pins 4. In this manner the cover will remain in its open position. Moreover, to prevent tilting, the center of gravity of the entire box 1 and contents should lie within the limits of the support sleeve 5. Thus, if the vertical height of the-box 1 is quite small, as compared to the width of the box, the cut outs 6 would need to be formed on the top and bottom panels of the sleeve.

It is of course understood that the form described represents a preferred embodiment of my invention, and that other forms or variations may be practiced and yet remain within the spirit of my invention and the scope of'the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. An improved display box comprising:

(a) a bottom portion having at least an elongate base wall, an upright front wall joined at an angle to the front edge of the base wall and coextensive with the base wall, and two upright end walls each joined to and coextensive with respective opposite lateral edges of the base and front walls;

(b) a cover portion having an elongate top wall spaced from the base wall, an upright back wall coextensive with the top wall at the rear edge of the top wall and extending downwardly therefrom to a bottom edge adjacent the base wall, and two additional upright end walls each being joined to and coextensive with respective opposite lateral edges of the top and back walls, the additional lateral edges extending downwardly over at least a portion of the bottom portion end walls in an overlapping slideable relationship therewith;

(c) hinge pins connecting the respective bottom and cover portion end walls proximate to the lower edge of the back wall and the rear edge of the base wall to permit pivoting of the cover portion about a pivot axis between a closed position with the cover portion end walls overlapping the bottom portion end walls, and an open display position with the bottom edge of the back wall abutting the base wall to hold the cover portion in an upright and rearwardly inclined position; and

(d) a support sleeve of relatively stiff material having a plurality of panels joined in an annular fashion, the panels having respective widths to form the sleeve with a cross-section equal in size to the overall outer lateral cross-section of the cover and bottom portions transverse to the pivot axis when the cover portion is in its closed position and the sleeve being slideable over the cover and bottom portions along the pivot axis to firmly retain the cover portion in its closed position, the sleeve panels further having base edges along one side of the sleeve in a common plane enable the sleeve to stand with the panels upright, and at least two of the panels including edge means at the opposite side of the sleeve defining cut outs at an angle equal to the angle of the base and front walls, the edge means engaging the base and front walls when the sleeve is standing to support the bottom portion in an inclined display position with the cover portion in its open display position.

2. An improved display box according to claim 1 wherein the cover portion further includes an additional front wall overlapping the bottom front wall when the cover portion is in its closed position.

3. An improved display box according to claim 1 wherein the sleeve has four panels and the respective crosssections are rectangular, and the means each comprise two straight edges in each of two opposing panels and defining right angular cut outs with the straight edges supporting the base wall being longer than the straight edges supporting the front wall the other two panels each having a rectangular base.

4. An improved display box according to claim 3 wherein the straight edges supporting the front wall are equal in length to the height of the front wall.

5. An improved display box according to claim 3 wherein the cut outs are formed in the panels of the sleeve sliding over the back and front walls when the cover portion is being retained in its closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,625,033 4/27 Knopp. 1,954,013 4/34 Lilienfield 20645.11 2,141,743 12/38 Ethridge 20645.11 2,219,034 10/40 Logan 20645.2 2,307,571 1/43 Crandall 20645.2 2,491,296 12/49 Beder 20645.2 X 2,796,190 6/57 Tupper 220-41 FOREIGN PATENTS 544,658 2/56 Belgium.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE O. RALSTON, Examiner. 

1. AN IMPROVED DISPLAY BOX COMPRISING: (A) A BOTTOM PORTION HAVING AT LEAST AN ELONGATE BASE WALL, AN UPRIGHT FRONT WALL JOINED AT AN ANGLE TO THE FRONT EDGE OF THE BASE WALL AND COEXTENSIVE WITH THE BASE WALL, AND TWO UPRIGHT END WALLS EACH JOINED TO AND COEXTENSIVE WITH RESPECT OPPOSITE LATERAL EDGES OF THE BASE AND FRONT WALLS; (B) A COVER PORTION HAVING AN ELONGATE TOP WALL SPACED FROM THE BASE WALL, AN UPRIGHT BACK WALL COEXTENSIVE WITH THE TOP WALL AT THE REAR EDGE OF THE TOP WALL AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM TO A BOTTOM EDGE ADJACENT THE BASE WALL, AND TWO ADDITIONAL UPRIGHT END WALLS EACH BEING JOINED TO AND COEXTENSIVE WITH RESPECT OPPOSITE LATERAL EDGES OF THE TOP AND BACK WALLS, THE ADDITIONAL LATERAL EDGES EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY OVER AT LEAST A PORTION OF THE BOTTOM PORTION END WALLS IN AN OVERLAPPING SLIDABLE RELATIONSHIP THEREWITH; (C) HINGE PINS CONNECTING THE RESPECTIVE BOTTOM AND COVER PORTION END WALLS PROXIMATE TO THE LOWER EDGE OF THE BACK WALL AND THE REAR EDGE OF THE BASE WALL TO PERMIT PIVOTING OF THE COVER PORTION ABOUT A PIVOT AXIS BETWEEN A CLOSED POSITION WTH THE COVER PORTION END WALLS OVERLAPPING THE BOTTOM PORTION END WALLS, AND AN OPEN DISPLAY POSITION WITH THE BOTTOM EDGE OF THE BACK WALL ABUTTING THE BASE WALL TO HOLD THE COVER PORTION IN AN UPRIGHT AND REARWARDLY INCLINED POSITION; AND (D) A SUPPORT SLEEVE OF RELATIVELY STIFF MATERIAL HAVING A PLURALITY OF PANELS JOINED IN AN ANNULAR FASHION, THE PANELS HAVING RESPECTIVE WIDTHS TO FORM THE SLEEVE WITH A CROSS-SECTION EQUAL IN SIZE TO THE OVERALL OUTER LATERAL CROSS-SECTION OF THE COVER AND BOTTOM PORTIONS TRANSVERSE TO THE PIVOT AXIS WHEN THE COVER PORTION IS IN ITS CLOSED POSITION AND THE SLEEVE BEING SLIDABLE OVER THE COVER AND BOTTOM PORTIONS ALONG THE PIVOT AXIS TO FIRMLY RETAIN THE COVER PORTION IN ITS CLOSED POSITION, THE SLEEVE PANELS FURTHER HAVING BASE EDGES ALONG ONE SIDE OF THE SLEEVE IN A COMMON PLANE ENABLE THE SLEEVE TO STAND WITH THE PANELS UPRIGHT, AND AT LEAST TWO OF THE PANELS INCLUDING EDGE MEANS AT THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SLEEVE DEFINING CUT OUTS AT AN ANGLE EQUAL TO THE ANGLE OF THE BASE AND FRONT WALLS, THE EDGE MEANS ENGAGING THE BASE AND FRONT WALLS, WHEN THE SLEEVE IS STANDING TO SUPPORT THE BOTTOM PORTION IN AN INCLINED DISPLAY POSITION WITH THE OUTER PORTION IN ITS OPEN DISPLAY POSITION. 